: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has held the Health Department responsible for not implementing the government’s plan to set up a cancer centre here.
Pointing out the lacunae in the functioning of the Health Department, Commission chairman J.B. Koshy said that the government order for appointing Special Officer and Special Officer (technical) came three months ago, but the roles and responsibilities of the special officers are yet to be specified. Without the parameters to work, the special officers cannot take their own decision, he added. Posting the case for January 11, 2016, he asked the Chief Secretary and the Health Secretary to provide all the details of the case pertaining to the work done so far.
In a letter to the Commission, the special officers had pointed out that without the necessary GOs, all the files regarding the cancer centre had to be moved through the Health Department.
One of the most important GO required was to get the cancer centre registered as a Society on the lines of the Regional Cancer Society, Thiruvananthapuram.
However, it was said in the letter that Health Department had to come out with a third GO after the Finance Department found fault with the first two GOs that were said to be incomplete.
Since the special officers are not part of the Society that would be formed, various department secretaries, including the Health Secretary had to make the necessary move to register it.
The request for creating special account to receive Rs. 10 crore provided by the Excise Department was given one-and-a-half months ago, the letter said. However, no move had been made for the same.
The letter also mentioned that the estimate prepared by the Public Works Department for converting a part of the Government Medical College block into the Cancer Centre OP was also submitted. It also had the staff pattern and plan approved by the Special Officer (technical).
